A Song For The Ages

Ruan stood silently in the meeting hall, her gaze sweeping the interior with the practiced ease of someone who had survived by watching everything and trusting nothing. Her instincts immediately assessed the room, not its decor, not its guests, but its angles. The best place to stand if she needed to vanish. The most vulnerable gap in the queen's guard. The exposed throat of her advis0r. It wasn't something she did consciously anymore. These were habits branded into her bones.

But this time, she didn't feel the need to act on any of it.

She was no longer forced to live that way.

A shift, subtle but seismic, had occurred within her. One born the moment Feiyin offered her a choice- a real choice. He had given her the option to follow or not, to stay or walk away. And even though he'd never once demanded her loyalty, Ruan had made her decision. Quietly. Privately. Unequivocally.

She had chosen him.

And it had felt... right.

She still remembered the look in Jue Qingling's eyes the night before when Feiyin finally revealed the full extent of his plans. His ambition. His strength. Ruan had expected from herself many things; caution, perhaps hesitation, but not the undercurrent of joy she'd felt rising in her chest. Joy at being trusted. At being given a role to play. A path to walk that wasn't painted in shadows and blood.

Qingling had seemed surprised at first. But Ruan wasn't. Feiyin had told her days ago that he believed Qingling could be swayed, that she sought something more. And he had been right.

After their oath of allegiance, the three of them had spent hours discussing how the Greenwood Kingdom mission could become more than a task. How they could forge ties with the elven queen and her people, use this time to plant seeds that might one day grow into a formidable alliance. Allies were precious. And time was running short.

Ruan's eyes slid over to the queen now.

The elven monarch sat with a stillness that was unnerving in its confidence. Her presence radiated power; calm, restrained, and deeply rooted. Stronger, Ruan realized, than her last master had ever been.

She flinched slightly at the term. That man wasn't her master anymore. Not truly. Not when Feiyin existed. The comparison made her stomach churn.

Feiyin was different.

He was something rare. Someone worth following.

And now, her gaze drifted to him.

There he sat, composed, yet emanating a restrained power that hummed just beneath the surface. His long black hair flowed down his back in smooth locks that shimmered like polished obsidian, a stark contrast to the quiet intensity in his posture. A faint glow of silver rimmed his eyes; calm, steady, and serene, like moonlight over a midnight lake. There was warmth in them, a quiet confidence that didn't demand attention yet drew it all the same. Yet beneath that warmth flowed strength; like a river under ice, slow and unyielding, ready to burst forth when called upon.

The long wooden table curved like a crescent moon around a raised platform where the elven queen sat, flanked by two elder advisors in ornate robes woven with living vines and threads of spirit light. Behind them, intricate carvings of nature spirits shimmered faintly in the polished wood, and soft bioluminescent vines coiled across the walls, giving the hall a sacred glow.

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The two emissaries who accompanied the Red Lotus mercenaries were present as well, standing near the back with dignified expressions. The joy of last night was gone, replaced by the solemnity of duty.

Feiyin sat forward, his fingers lightly tapping the table. Jue Qingling beside him remained composed, her silver eyes scanning the room with steady vigilance. Ruan, now seated to his left, straightened as the queen raised her hand.

"We thank the Red Lotus Mercenaries," the queen said, her voice as smooth as flowing water, yet threaded with a command that resonated like a bell in the soul, "for your aid in protecting our city. We understand this mission was but the beginning of your work here. Let us discuss what comes next."

Feiyin nodded respectfully. "It is our honor, Your Majesty."

The conversation quickly deepened. One of the queen's elder advisors stepped forward, his face lined with age and wisdom. "It is our belief that a powerful mutation has emerged within the killer bear hives."

"An empress," the queen added, eyes narrowing. "A singular queen that has risen above the rest. She has begun expanding their territory at an unnatural pace."

The advisor continued, gesturing to a large map projected by a formation disc in the center of the table. "The hive used to remain deep in the southern ridges. But now, their waves grow bolder. Entire groves have been forced to evacuate. Our clans are stretched thin. We believe this empress is tier six by classification, though based on her behavior, she likely possesses the combat prowess of a strong tier five."

Jue Qingling's gaze sharpened. "And the capital?"

"Protected," the queen said, her voice harder now. "But only because we have pulled back every force we could spare to safeguard the Elder Tree. The formation you witnessed is the one we cannot afford to let fall. The Elder Tree is the heart of our realm, both symbolically and spiritually. It binds our land and our essence. If it were to be lost, the balance of our forest would crumble."

She exhaled slowly, and this time the weariness was more than a flicker- it lingered in the set of her shoulders and the faint tension at the corners of her mouth. "The Elder Tree is currently weakened, strained by the growing pressure and damage sustained during the early waves of attacks. I am using my own essence qi to nourish and shield it, to keep it from collapsing entirely. That, in addition to protecting the capital and guiding our people, has bound me here. I cannot leave now, not when the threat grows each day and our people look to this place for hope. Our strength is stretched thin across the surrounding groves and cities. We've asked too much of our elders already. The enemy presses from all sides, and still... we endure."

"Then you wish for us to eliminate this empress?" Qingling asked.

The queen nodded. "Yes. Strike the head, and the body will scatter. We cannot launch an open offensive without revealing the extent of our weakness. But a small, elite force..."

"Could do what we cannot," the elder advisor finished.

Feiyin glanced to Jue Qingling and Ruan, then back to the queen. "We accept. But we will need every scrap of information you have."

"You shall have it," the queen replied. "And our deepest thanks."

She lifted her hand slightly, and another advisor stepped forward, presenting a scroll bound with emerald silk. "Alongside the information, the Greenwood Kingdom will offer recompense as previously stated. Should you succeed, you will be granted privileged access to our borders and markets, including direct trade rights with our inner forest groves, which includes rare herbs, essence tree sap, and essence-rich fauna. In addition, you will be granted access to certain cultivation resources harvested only in the Greenwood region."

Feiyin nodded, his voice even. "We will not fail. But before we leave, I would like to take a look at the Elder Tree's condition, if I may. I am an alchemist- and quite a capable one," he added with a glance at Jue Qingling.

Qingling gave a short nod, her voice calm but resolute. "He is."

The elven queen's gaze lingered on Feiyin, considering. But just as she seemed to weigh the request, one of her elder advisors stepped forward sharply.

"We cannot allow outsiders into the heart of the Elder Tree," the advisor said. "Its sanctum is sacred and must remain untouched. We hope you understand."

Feiyin did. With his oscillation sense, he could feel the flicker of distrust, the hesitation not just in the words, but in the air itself. It was natural. Trust was not given, it was earned.

He inclined his head with a faint smile. "Of course. We shall complete the mission first. When we return, perhaps we will have proven ourselves more worthy of such trust."